Flat hold-open hinge



Feb. 7, 1961 L. H. MORIN 2,970,338

FLAT HOLD-OPEN HINGE Filed Dec. 4, 1958 T: Z. E "1' 2 INVENT OR. A 0 U/5 H. Mom/v HTTORNL'Y 2,970,338 I FLAT HOLD-OPEN HINGE Louis H. Morin, Bronx, N.Y. (125 Beechwood Ave, New Rochelle, N.Y.)

Filed Dec. 4, 1958, Ser. No. 778,253 in Claims. (c1. 16-141) This invention relates to what I term hold-open hinges, wherein a substantially flat hinge structure can be provided. More particularly, the invention deals with a hinge of the character described, wherein a gripper member employing a pair of levers operatively engages an arcuate segment of the movable butt of'a. hinge in controlling hold-open action of the movable butt and, further, wherein the lever ends include trigger portions operatively engaging a spring controlled roller in controlling gripper action upon the segment of said movable butt.

Still more particularly, the invention deals with a structure of the character described, wherein the gripper member has tensional supporting means mounted on the pintle portion of the hinge for movement of a pair of grippers or shoes in engagement with opposed surfaces of the arcuate segment in establishing the. hold-open gripping action on the movable butt of the hinge.

The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following description, when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which certain embodi ments of the invention are disclosed and, in which the ters in each'of the views and, in which:

Fig. 1 is a substantially central sectional view through parts of a hinge made according to my invention, with parts of the construction shown in elevation and indicating portions of the hinge in a difierent position in dotted lines, the hinge being shown in its fully opened position.

Fig. 2 is a partial section substantially on the broken line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view, similar to Fig. 1, illustrating the hinge in a closed position. p

Fig. 4 is a partial section on the broken line 4-4 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a view showing partof the structure of Fig. 2 and showing a modification.

In the drawing, 10 represents the stationary .butt of the. hinge, 11 the movable butt, 12 the pintle fixedin the side plates 13 of the stationarybutt, as seen at 14 in Fig. 2 of the drawing. Mounted in the side plates 13.01: the stationary butt are two stop pins 15 and 16, .as well as a third checking pin 17.

The lower portion of the side plates 13 of the butt 10 have angularly arranged elongated apertures, one of which is seen, at 18 in Fig. 1, and both ofv which are indicated in Fig. 4 of'the drawing. The angularity of the apertures 18 is at a tangent to the axisor pintle 12.

Thelbutt 11has a substantially semi-circular bearing part 19, apertured, as seen at 20, for rotation upon the pintle 12, the part 19 having an arc-shaped aperture 21 disposed concentrically to the pintle axis 12 and forming, on the part 19, an arc-shaped segment 22, having inner and outer bearing surfaces 23 and 24, both concentric end portions 26, from which extend curved spring arms] 27. The spring arms 27 terminate in rounded abutments 28 which form trigger portions on said levers, the function of which is later described. The levers 25 are disposed upon side surfaces of the part 19 of the butt 11, as clearly noted in Fig. 2 of the drawing, and the abutments 28 are joined by a rivetpin29, which maintains the abutments in spaced relation to each other,

Rotatably mounted in the end portions 26 are grippers 30 and 31, respectively. The grippers, in the modification of Fig. 5, are in the form of pins, as noted at 30 and 31'; whereas, in the other figures, these grippers have central enlarged shoe portions 32 and 33, respectively, substantially of the contour noted in section in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawing. The grippers, or the shoes 32, 33 thereof,

operate respectively upon the bearing surfaces 23 and 24.

Mounted on the pintle 12, at opposed sides of the butt 11, are bushings or sleeves 34, upon which looped ends 35 of spring fingers 36 are mounted, the fingers 36 passing through ends of the grippers 30, 31 and are disposed 7 adjacent outer sides of the levers 25, as clearly noted in Fig. 20f the drawing. In Fig. 5, these spring fingers are noted at 36 and pass through the protruding ends of the grippers 30, 31', as clearly noted. At this time, it is pointed out that, aside from the details described, the structure of Fig. 5 is identical with the structure of the hinge, as shown in the other figures.

At' this time, it is also well to mention that the spring fingers 36 form what may be said to be a theoretical axis at the point 37, note Fig. 1, upon which the grippers swing by action of the spring fingers in establishing gripping action of the grippers upon the surfaces 23 and 24, this being accomplished through actuation of the levers 27 upon a roller 38. The roller 38 is freely rotatable on a pin 39 which operates in the elongated apertures 18, the

latter being inclined, so as to provide the movement of the roller 38, as indicated in part in dotted lines in Fig. 1

of the drawing and, in dotted lines, a part of one of the levers 27 is shown in dotted lines at 27'. Y

Spring rods 40'have their spring ends mounted in ends of the pin 39 protruding beyond the side plates 13 of the butt 10, the other ends of the springs being looped around the protruding ends of the pin 16, as seen at 41. The ends 41 are held in position on the pins 16 by riveted washers .2, note Fig. 4 of the drawing. The othershort ends 43 of the spring rods have ends extending into apertures 44 in the side plates 13 of the butt 10, asclearly indicated in Fig. 4 of the drawing.

The rods 40 are normally tensioned to support the pin 39 in the full line position of the pin, as noted in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawing, when the movable butt 11 is in the fully opened position of Fig. '1, or the fully closed position of Fig. 3 of the drawing.

With the butt 11 in any one of a number of opened positions, where the trigger abutments 28 are disposed to the right of the-roller 38, as noted'in Fig. 1, the butt is checked against accidental closing movement or maintained at the hold-open position desired. In other words, any tendency to close the butt 11 will urge 28 against the face of the roller 38; thus causing the grippers 30, 31 to swing about their theoretical axis 37 to frictionally engage the surfaces 23 and 24, this engagement being modified through the action of the spring arms 27. Itwill also be apparent, however, that, in forcefully moving the butt -11 to a closed position in a clockwise direction, the ends 28 of the spring. arms 27 will forcethe roller 38 to the left, thus urging the pin 39against the end of the apertures 18 and, as this movement continues, the spring varm s 27 will yield to permit the ends'28 to ride over the roller 38 until the ends 28 clear or snap over the roller in the trigger-like action. After the ends 28 have cleared the roller '38, it' will be understood that pressure of the shoes 30, 31 p against the surfaces 23, 24 of the segment is immediately relieved, thereby allowing for free closing movement of the butt 11. The levers 27 will be carried along with the butt 11 in this closing movement by virtue of the light frictional contact of the shoes on the segment 22 by reason of the flexed spring load of the spring 35 or the fingers 36- thereof.

Continued closing movement in the clockwise direc tion eventually causes the edge of levers 25 to strike the stop rod 15, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. This serves to further accentuate the frictional release of grippers 30, 31 against the surfaces 23and 24 and the butt 11, on completing its closing movement, is checked by the end of the aperture 21 striking the stop 16.

In the reverse action or, in other words, in moving the butt 11 from the closed to the opened position, the abutments 28 start moving in a counterclockwise direction and will strike the roller 38 and force the pin 39 downwardly in the apertures 18, as indicated in dotted lines at 38 in Fig. 1. As soon as abutments 28 pass over the roller 38, the roller 38 is snapped back in its upward position, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, by action of the spring ends of rods 40. Continued movement of the butt 11 will result in the stop pin striking the opposed end of the aperture 21, thus checking full opened movement of the butt 11.

, It will also be apparent that, when the butt 11 is moved into the fully opened position, the pin 17 strikes the elliptical ends 26 of the levers 25, thus releasing gripping action of the grippers upon the surfaces of the segment 22 to free the butt 11 to start closing movement. In like manner, movement of the butt 11 to its closed position moves the levers into engagement with the pin 15 to accomplish the same releasing action.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A hinge of the character described, comprising a stationary butt having parallel side plates, a movable butt arranged between said side plates, a pintle fixed to the side plates of the stationary butt, forming a pivotal axis for the movable butt in the stationary butt, said movable butt having an arc-shaped segment, including spaced hearing surfaces, a pair of grippers yieldably supported upon the pintle axis and operatively engaging said bearing surfaces of the segment,'a spring controlled roller movably supported in the side plates of the stationary butt, and means coupled with said grippers and operatively engaging said roller in actuating said grippers to check closing movement of the movable butt in said stationary butt.

2. A hinge as defined in claim 1, wherein said means comprises a pair of levers having trigger abutments at their ends operatively engaging said roller.

3. A hinge as defined in claim 2, wherein the trigger abutments are disposed at free ends of spring arms of said levers.

4. A hinge as defined in claim 1, wherein said grippers comprise shoes having surfaces extending along the bearing surfaces of said segment.

5. A hinge as defined in claim 1, wherein said grippers comprise a pair of pins.

6. A hinge as defined in claim 5, wherein the yieldable support for said pins comprises spring fingers mounted in ends of said pins at sides of said segment, and said fingers having looped ends encircling said pintle.

7. A hinge as defined in claim 6, wherein the portion of the spring fingers, midway between said pins, forms theoretical axes, about which said pins rotate in establishing gripping action on the bearing surfaces of said segment.

8. A hinge as defined in claim 1, wherein said roller is freely rotatable on a pin movable in apertures in the side plates of the stationary butt inclined tangentially with respect to said pintle.

9. A hinge as defined in claim 8, wherein the control of said roller comprises spring rods mounted in connection with the side plates of the stationary butt and engaging the ends of said last mentioned pin.

10. A hinge as defined in claim 1, wherein said segment is partially formed by an aperture concentric to the pintle axis, and means fixed to the side plates of the stationary butt at spaced intervals operatively engaging the ends of said aperture in checking opening and closing movement of the movable butt.

11. A hinge as defined in claim 10, wherein one of the last named means operatively engages the first named means in releasing gripping action of said grippers in movement of the movable butt into closed position.

12. A hinge as defined in claim 11, wherein other means is mounted in the side plates of said butts to operatively engage said first named means in releasing operation of said grippers in movement of the movable butt into closed position.

13. A hinge of the character described, comprising a stationary butt having spaced side plates, a movable butt arranged between said side plates, a pintle arranged be tween and fixed to said side plates, said pintle forming an axis for movement of the movable butt in the stationary butt, said movable butt having a part concentric to and spaced'with respect to said pintle axis, gripper means movably supported on said pintle axis in the sta tionary butt and operatively engaging said part of the movable butt in fricticnally maintaining the movable butt in hold-open position, and means movably supported in the stationary butt and operatively engaging said gripper means in controlling gripper action of said gripper means and in releasing action of the gripper means in movement of the movable butt from a closed to an open position.

14. A hinge as defined in claim 13, wherein the gripper means comprises a pair of grippers, and said part of the movable butt comprises a concentric segment, presenting a pair of bearing surfaces operatively engaged by the pair of grippers in maintaining the movable butt in hold-open position.

15. A hinge as defined in claim 14, wherein yieldabfe supports are provided for said pair of grippers, and said yieldable supports forming, intermediate the grippers, theoretical pivotal axes, about which said grippers swing.

16. A hinge as defined in claim 15, wherein the means movably supported in the stationary butt comprises a spring actuated roller operating in a path eccentric to the outer bearing surface of said segment.

References Cited in the file of this patent. UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,069,429 Jackson Aug. 5, 1913 2,095,866 Hallenbeck Oct. 12, 1937 2,573,032 'Lambert Oct. 30, 1951 2,884,805 Krause May 5, 1959 

